


A Godawful Small Affair

by orphan_account



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Assumed Relationship, Canon Compliant, Episode Tag, Episode Tag: s04e21 Life on Mars, F/M, Implied/Referenced Adultery, Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, POV Donna Moss, Pre-Relationship, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-09
Updated: 2017-03-09
Packaged: 2018-09-29 22:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10145972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Donna and Josh discuss their former vice president and his current scandal immediately after the events of "Life on Mars."





	

The paperwork was dull but necessary, and Donna really needed it done. It was her excuse for staying late tonight. Everyone else in the West Wing was gone except the senior staff, and people were more likely to believe her excuses when she finished the work.

She probably didn’t need to bother tonight, though.

Tomorrow, everyone would think that she had stayed late because she wanted a front row seat to the resignation of Vice President Hoynes. It was the kind of story she could tell her children someday (albeit significantly toned down), if she ever got around to having children.

It was nice to have a reason to stay late that wouldn’t lead to her coworkers smirking at her or exchanging exasperated looks. No one ever looked at _Josh_ that way, but he tended to have better excuses.

Josh’s ranting on the scandal provided ambient noise that no sound machine could equal. The man could talk for hours without pausing for breath, and he never expected any answers from her beyond murmurs of agreement now and then. It was almost comforting.

Which was why, _of course_ , he had to go and blow it by directing a comment at her. “You’re not surprised,” he said suddenly, his eyes focused on her, his brow furrowed, his mouth twisted.

Donna _was_ surprised. Josh had been going on and on about loyalty, treason, and the first Bartlet campaign for hours without stopping for breath, and she hadn’t been paying him much attention. She hoped that he was still talking about Hoynes.

“Surprised about what?” she asked, to make sure.

“This.” He waved his hand wildly. “You’re not surprised that the vice president was having an affair and telling some Beltway socialite state secrets to impress her. Everybody else is. No one else suspected.”

Donna smiled thinly. “I’d bet against that, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m saying,” Donna took a deep breath, “that a lot of the women in the White House and in the OEOB won’t be surprised. They won’t be surprised when more women come forward, either, and trust me, they will. It’s just the men who are.”

“Helen Whatshername isn’t the only one.” It wasn’t a question.

“Baldwin, and I sincerely doubt it.”

Josh sat down heavily opposite her and glanced at the window. He kept doing that. Donna had already told him that the bird was probably asleep. Hopefully, it had learned its lesson about hurting its beak like that, and it wouldn’t come back tomorrow. “Did you and he —”

“ _No_ , Josh. What the hell?”

“But he tried something.”

It seemed _wrong_ to come out and say so, for reasons she couldn’t even explain to herself, so Donna only made a small sound of agreement.

“What, uh — What happened?”

She rolled her eyes. “Seriously?”

“I’m not asking for _dirt._ I want to know ‘cause — because we’re Democrats, and we oppose workplace harassment. Even by the vice president. So, what happened?”

Donna gave in, to shut him up: “What always happens, I guess. We were talking before some meeting or another, he leaned in close and brushed up against me. Said something about how hard I worked. I backed away, he backed off. Ask Margaret or Carol, they probably have the same exact story.”

_Only, I’m sure Hoynes didn’t put up his hands and say that he wouldn’t want to step on Josh’s toes to **them** after he had backed off._

Josh scowled. “He’s tried with this everyone?”

“Enough of us, but the assistants keep an eye out for each other.” She had to laugh as she quoted the countless people who had warned her about her relationship with Josh, from Leo all the way down to Elspeth in the mailroom: “The last thing that the Democratic Party needs is another sex scandal.”

He laughed too. It was _funny._ “Some say that it’s the thought that counts.”

“Somehow, I don’t think the press will care about our intentions.”

She returned to her paperwork and waited for Josh’s opinions to fill the empty halls again, but he didn’t start back up.

“Are there other men like Hoynes?”

“It’s _politics_ , Josh.” And Donna was suppose to be the naïve one. “There will always be men who use their positions to impress women and get them into their beds, and some of those men will be married when they do it.”

“Assholes.” He crossed his legs angrily and then uncrossed them, planting his feet flat on the floor. “Hoynes made a _commitment_ to Suzanne. I like her as little as anyone with sense, but come on, he _promised_ before God and all their friends and family. What’s the point of getting married if you’re going to shtup every girl who’s up for it between the Atlantic and the Pacific?”

“Why do you get to use Yiddish and I don’t?”

“Because I’m Jewish and you’re not?” Josh must have exchanged notes with Toby. He tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair in a tattoo that was — honestly? — more annoying than the bird’s pecking. “I don’t get it. I’ll never get it. This is his _second_ marriage. Does he not get the point, or am I the only idiot in the world who thinks that marriage is suppose to mean something?”

Donna sighed. “Not everyone thinks like you do, Josh. More’s the pity.”

“You’re the only person in the world who would say that.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, Josh. I’m sure your mom would too. Maybe.”

He snorted. “You and my mom, huh? A man could do worse.” He rose to his feet. “I’m going to go see if there’s anything left in the cafeteria. You want something?”

“Coffee. Fresh, if you can get it.”

He grinned. Weakly, but still. “I’ll brew a fresh pot if need be. We’re burning the midnight oil tonight, Donnatella.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“Isn’t it always?”

He disappeared into the bullpen, and Donna went back to the paperwork.

She really did need to finish it tonight.


End file.
